Rail operators are facing a blizzard of fury on social media after hundreds of trains were axed.

Greater Anglia and Great Northern cancelled services between Cambridge and London despite forecasts of widespread "severe" weather failing to materialise by this morning (Tuesday, February 27).

Trains cancellations listed on the Greater Anglia website this morning

On Twitter, many passengers questioned the decision angrily, claiming it was an over-reaction.

But the train firms say the restrictions are being imposed by Network Rail, which owns the track, signals and power infrastructure - and Network Rail said they had no choice but to act in response to the weather forecast.

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A Greater Anglia spokeswoman said: "Because of warnings of extreme snow, wintry conditions and freezing temperatures, we were following a contingency plan drawn up with Network Rail so that we could continue to operate a limited service, but allow Network Rail to prioritise their resources - such as snow ploughs, points heaters and snow clearing teams - to keep the busiest routes going.

"We have done everything we can to run as many services as possible, whilst prioritising the safety of customers and staff, and are now looking to reinstate services where we can in areas that are not as badly affected. However, this will depend on local weather conditions and availability of staff.

"We apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused customers and advise that they continue to check before they travel."

Great Northern also curtailed its services last night (Monday February 26), and warned pelple that more restrictions were "likely" today on trains running north of Royston towards Cambridge and King's Lynn.

Network Rail is responsbile for keeping the track operable and safe

The rail operator said: "Heavy snow forecast for the East of England has led Network Rail, which owns and operates the tracks, signals and power infrastructure of the railway, to place restrictions on the services Great Northern can run tonight north of Royston, towards Cambridge and King’s Lynn. This will help keep passenger services running as best as possible.

"We urge passengers travelling to and from stations north of Royston on our Cambridge and King’s Lynn routes to check before they travel and start their journeys earlier. Do not rely on the last trains home to this area which will leave earlier and will be very busy.

"The Peterborough route and Hertford suburban services are unaffected but there are also likely to be short notice alterations and cancellations due to drivers and trains being out of position for the normal service. We have full details on our website.

"There is likely to be an early close-down of services north of Royston on Tuesday, 27 February, possibly earlier than Monday, 26 February."

This is what Network Rail has to say

The company says it had to act in response to Met Office predictions of "up to 30 centimetres of snow to fall during heavy snow showers overnight from Monday to Tuesday, and on Wednesday and subsequent days, when temperatures will rarely get above freezing so snow will not melt, and there is a risk of snow drifts."

It added in a statement: "Snow and ice can impact the railway in the following ways:

Snow compacted by passing trains can turn into solid ice – particularly in areas where trains move slowly – and prevents points working

Rails can freeze together which means signals stay red and trains stop

Heavy snow can make branches break off trees, damaging overhead wires and blocking the track

Wind can cause snow drifts of 30cm or more – in this case, trains would need to be fitted with snow ploughs to run safely.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: "We will be keeping a close eye on the forecast over the next few days and have contingency plans in place for the expected extreme weather. Our staff will be working 24/7 to keep main lines open but in order to do this we cannot keep all branch lines open.

"We understand the inconvenience this causes but the safety of our passengers and staff remains our number one priority. We will work to reopen all branch lines as soon as the weather clears."

On Twitter, Gary Ross posted: "There's no severe weather. Why are there no trains?"

Alan Reynolds tweeted: "They overreacted. Closing down the network and reducing services was way too heavy and now everyone that is travelling today (and probably the rest of the week) is suffering from their ineptitude."

Melodie.H said: "@greateranglia are an utter disgrace. Today is just an example of the continuous bad service we pay through the nose for."

Michael Campbell emailed the News a picture of "a beautiful dawn in Ely."

Michael Campbell's picture of a clear sky this morning

He said: "A bright sunny winter’s day with no wind, rain or snow and a temperature of -1C. And all trains to London cancelled. If you want to know where the UK’s productivity is being lost - here is the perfect example."

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